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AIC QF Draw Restrictions:
No Armagh v Donegal/Galway/Dublin
No Donegal v Tyrone
No Kerry v Meath

Given restrictions, pairings will be:
Armagh v Kerry
Donegal v Meath or Monaghan
Tyrone v Galway or Kerry or Dublin
Monaghan v Dublin or Galway or Donegal
Galway v Meath or Monaghan or Tyrone
Dublin v Meath or Monaghan or Tyrone
Meath v Dublin or Galway or Donegal

After simply keeping Armagh and Kerry out of the draw,
I can see the other restrictions potentially causing chaos during the draw.
The big one -
If Pot 1 comes out as Meath, Monaghan, Tyrone
and then Pot 2 as Galway, Dublin, Donegal.

If Donegal comes out so late, how do you 'reserve' Meath or Monaghan early?
Does Galway play Meath which makes Monaghan play Donegal? or
Do you 'reserve both' = Galway plays Tyrone;
Dublin plays Meath; and Donegal plays Monaghan?

The cleanest way might be to put Meath & Monaghan in a 'mini pot' - draw one to play Donegal - and then add Tyrone to the one left to determine the remaining 2 QFs.
Without aid of a computer, a manual draw needs to be conducted carefully - I'm sure they'll get it right :)

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3308 - 22/06/2025 19:05:03    2619962

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Whatever happens going forward with structures, I think a big flaw still lies in the league being used for seeding. After their very positive championship this year, Down are likely to not qualify for the Sam Maguire next season. Something definitely wrong with that.

Ciaran359 (Galway) - Posts: 32 - 23/06/2025 14:13:31    2620314

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Replying To Ciaran359:  "Whatever happens going forward with structures, I think a big flaw still lies in the league being used for seeding. After their very positive championship this year, Down are likely to not qualify for the Sam Maguire next season. Something definitely wrong with that."
100%

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4586 - 23/06/2025 16:55:40    2620417

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Replying To Ciaran359:  "Whatever happens going forward with structures, I think a big flaw still lies in the league being used for seeding. After their very positive championship this year, Down are likely to not qualify for the Sam Maguire next season. Something definitely wrong with that."
One rule for Down!?
If they're that good they'll sail back up to D2.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2458 - 23/06/2025 17:17:11    2620435

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Replying To Whammo86:  "100%"
Fair point.
So should the 'Sam QF 8' and TC Champ qualify for next year's Sam, along with next year's Prov Champs and league top teams to complete the 16?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3308 - 23/06/2025 20:00:11    2620496

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "One rule for Down!?
If they're that good they'll sail back up to D2."
Not at all the point being made. Championship performance should be what decides qualification for next season. Even if they get back to D2, they're not guaranteed a Sam Maguire spot. We should be rewarding good championship performances.

Ciaran359 (Galway) - Posts: 32 - 24/06/2025 08:34:47    2620534

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Replying To Ciaran359:  "Whatever happens going forward with structures, I think a big flaw still lies in the league being used for seeding. After their very positive championship this year, Down are likely to not qualify for the Sam Maguire next season. Something definitely wrong with that."
Using the league for seeding qualifying rounds would be a solution there. Up to counties really to push for a change like that.
Q1
5 byes
9 seeded v 9 unseeded, separate draw for home advantage.
Q2
7 seeded v 7 unseeded, separate draw for home advantage.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8968 - 24/06/2025 09:13:57    2620543

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Cant't wait to be 5 minutes into next years championship and there will be calls for change again.

trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 552 - 24/06/2025 11:45:55    2620621

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Replying To trimmer:  "Cant't wait to be 5 minutes into next years championship and there will be calls for change again."
Especially if some big team gets knocked out in Round 2B!!

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2458 - 24/06/2025 12:57:50    2620664

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Replying To trimmer:  "Cant't wait to be 5 minutes into next years championship and there will be calls for change again."
Calls have started already -
No one wanted more games last year when the football was dire.
Now the football is good - we all want more games.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1461 - 24/06/2025 13:50:28    2620685

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Replying To trimmer:  "Cant't wait to be 5 minutes into next years championship and there will be calls for change again."
And there should be. It is madness. We have a great system and they are binning it.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 642 - 24/06/2025 13:52:49    2620688

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Especially if some big team gets knocked out in Round 2B!!"
3 provincial winners lost in Round 1 this year. 2 of those clash in Round 2B will have a provincial winner exiting early.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8968 - 24/06/2025 14:19:12    2620699

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "And there should be. It is madness. We have a great system and they are binning it."
I agree. It's crazy to change a format so quickly. The pure knock-out format was there for well over one hundred years, the qualifiers for close to twenty with small tweaks along the way. This one has been in place for only three years and it's being altered already. It should be given at least a decade to produce a meaningful set of outcomes on which to base any judgement.
The strong call was for more games for teams at this time of year and now they are reducing it.

CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 156 - 24/06/2025 14:31:37    2620706

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